State poll panel criticises Kerala government

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - State Election Commissioner P. Kamalkutty Thursday criticised the Kerala government for not heeding his repeated requests for the smooth conduct of local bodies polls.

In his address at an all-party meeting, Kamalkutty said that the delay in holding the polls was not caused due to any action of his but because of the re-organisation of the panchayats, village councils, which was done by the state government.

Speaking to IANS senior opposition legislator Joseph M. Puthuserry (Kerala Congress M) said that the poll official made it quite clear that if the state government had listened to him, the local bodies poll would have been held next month on schedule.

“The SEC told the all party meeting that he wrote to the state government in June 2007 on the procedures and other issues for the smooth conduct of the local bodies poll, but it was only in November 2009 that the state government responded to his numerous letters. On account of the delay it is now made clear that the local bodies poll won’t be held on time and it was agreed that there can be only a single phase poll,” said Puthuserry.

The all party meeting was called after it surfaced that elections to six district panchayats, 14 block panchayats and two grama panchayats will not be held following a court verdict when it cancelled the ward delimitation in these panchayats.

Elections have to be held to fill up close to 22,000 seats in the three-tier local body structure in the state.